Lord Shadow

Chapter 1355 A Trace of a Magician That is the only way to explain the inconsistencies of space in the room. With nothing else to do, he had been lounging around in the room. 

He sometimes goes to the middle room trying to open the locked door. When he is tired trying to open a locked door that could not be opened he would go back to his room and rest and think of a way to escape

He tries to use his strength but in here, all of his powers seems to be neutralized.

He could tell then that the soil that is sued to make the ground that he walks in, the walls on the room are made probably from the soil of Bubble Land

not even once he could let down his guard. 

It felt like he was in an experiment. 

No matter how good the food, no matter how comfy the bed, it is not a pleasant feeling knowing that you are locked by someone you do not know, whose motive is unknown to you 

Imagine his surprise right now, knowing that the one who have kidnapped him is none other than the infamous Loki the Trickster 

Loki in the past sixth month have been making name for himself in the crime underworld. He also has his own faction and there was news that Loki is amassing power and influence to join the Red Table. 

A meteoric rise. 

The fact that almost all of the Great Powers is hunting him is doing great for his reputation among the criminal underworld

A street cred of the highest order. 

However, even though Paul knows all of this, he had nothing to do with any of this. 

He is not in any factions of the Crime Alliance; he is not even acquainted much with members of the Crime Alliance.

Those who he knows from the Crime Alliance are all small people at the lower bottom, some thieves and pirates and a few members of the organized crime family

Most of these people are the foot soldiers of the powerful crime organization and even then his relationship with these people is a relationship of business and not that of friends. 

The world is not Pandemonium, and certain stuff that he needed to have and do would make him intersect with the people of the Crime Alliance. 

But that is not a good enough reason

So, he wonders why does the leader of the new rising force in the crime underworld had kidnapped him?

Loki look at Paul and he smiles

Then he said

ʼPaul Koch. A normal researcher. A Seed Forming leveler. Ability consisted of able to read the properties of certain thing. It relates to your ability of fusing thingsʼ

Paul nodded

ʼIt is nothing extraordinary. There is many other researcher and other people who have the ability to fuse things. I believe even you could use the Laws of the World to fuse certain thingsʼ

Loki nodded but then he said

ʼYes, many people are able to fuse things. They could fuse elements, objects and even laws sometimes. But none do it like youʼ he smiles and then he leans close so that his face is only a few inches away from Paul face and then he said

ʼYou fused cells and blood. You also studied on how to improve and weaken the immune systems of people with magical energy or those who have superhuman bodies. You learn how to disrupt energy circulations in any living beings whether it be monsters or humans.  And from what Iʼve heard you are now branching out to the study of the new bacteria and germs that have erupted in population after the Multiversal Convergenceʼ

Loki paused for a second before saying

ʼYou certainly been busyʼ

Paul hearing all this nodded.

ʼThatʼs what I do. I research thing. I donʼt think it is dangerous and my research is well-known among the academics. I contracted with many of the world powers. I did a few stint with the World Government and even Lady Sasha had once asked my service. But. Iʼve never taken any contract from the Crime Alliance. Since you are from the Crime Alliance, I think you know thisʼ

He added 

ʼI donʼt think that me knowing a few low level thugs in the bottom would make me a danger to you. Iʼm just a normal person trying to live in this messed up worldʼ

Loki lean back on his chair, as he tidies up his coat and then he sighed

ʼYou are not making it easy are you?ʼ

ʼWhat do you mean?ʼ

ʼPaul Koch. Before the Fall you were a professor in one of the most prestigious university in Munich. You are an award winning scientist who excels in the fields of hematology, immunology and antimicrobial studies. The second child of a three brothers, you were always the smart one. You have a wife before the Fall named Hedwig who died of illness during the Fall.ʼ

Paul frowned. He certainly didnʼt think that all of his personal information could be spoken by Loki in this detail., He thought he had scraped all of his past information 

Loki could tell that Paul is a bit rattled and he continues. 

ʼFor the first few months of the Fall you were in Germany and fled during the reign of Bradheim.ʼ

Loki paused for a second, close his eyes, like he was trying to remember something and then he continued

ʼYou fled to France where you make a name of yourself as a healer. You did not do any notable things and you did not stick your nose in where it did not belong. But, in a battle against the Weronian Invasion, you and a few ragtag bunch of resistance forces in France against the Occupation of the Weronians, you created one of the most destructive biological weapon that wipes put an entire company of Weronian warriors who have Six Horns which is equivalent to a Seed Forming leveler. At that time, you were but an Energy Disperse stage levelerʼ

There is an eerie smile on Loki face right now and the atmosphere is a bit heavy. Paul frown become deeper. 

He looks at Loki and Loki looks at him. maybe, in other people eyes, Paul look like a sweet old guy, harmless

He himself said, he is but a normal person

But a normal person, a harmless person would not be able to do the things he did. 

Paul did not know what Loki is trying to say to him but he had no choice but to keep listening. Loki continues

ʼThat stunt of yours attract some attention. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on what you were feeling at the time, most of your achievement kind of drowned compared to the formation of the Ice Mountain where Death Monarch and Ice Queen seems to perish. That news drowns any other news during that time and then there is also the post-war reconstructionʼ

Paul remains silent. And his expression is grave.

Loki chuckles 

ʼYou seem to know where I am going with thisʼ Paul still did not say anything, maintaining his silence

ʼIn the aftermath of the war, many of the great powers wanted to replenish back their elite forces. It was during this time; your particular set of skill attract one of the world powers to recruit youʼ

Loki paused for a second and then said

ʼYou are one of the secret members of the Order of Thinkersʼ Hearing this Paul closes his eyes. For a few second there is only silence inside the room

He then sighed and opens his eyes. 

This time, Paul seems to be more alive but also more cold. 

Loki chuckles. 

He likes dealing with people from the Order of Thinkers. Most of them are researcher type people and very straightforward type of people

And they also do not know how to hide their emotions. 

It is easy to fish out the truth from them. If it was one of the criminals in this prison, sometimes they even believe the lie that it is hard to extract the truth from them

Loki did not say anything and the silence lingers for a while before Paul finally said something

He nodded and said

ʼYes, I am a member of the Order of Thinkersʼ he paused for a second before he said

ʼEven so, I am not that important in the organizationʼ

Loki shakes his head and said

ʼAh, donʼt sell yourself shortʼ

There is another silence. 

Paul is trying to understand why Loki kidnaps him. Even though he is a member of the Order of Thinkers, the Order of Thinkers itself does not clash with the Crime Alliance.

Some members of the Order of Thinkers even sell some weapons to the Crime Alliance so to say that they are enemies is not quite right

And they certainly did not cross Loki. 

Even though the great powers jointly stated that Loki would be hunted by the full might of the world powers, that was simply just posturing. 

Pandemonium did not take lead on this. And Death Monarch basically give Loki the golden plate of pardon. 

Right now, Death Monarch is still the strongest person in the world and he leads the strongest world power

Nobody wanted another war. Compromises had to be made. Not to mention Order of Thinkers itself is in hot water right now. 

Even though many of the citizens of the world powers are mad because of what had happened, most of the higher ranking members of the world powers knows that the fault does not solely lie on Loki. 

The reason why the Multiversal Convergence happened is because the constant meddling with parallel universes and travelling to other dimension without any thought of how it could weaken the reality barrier between worlds.

Yes, Loki might be the trigger. But he was not the single cause of this matter. It is a tacit understanding between Loki and the world powers.

As long as Loki did not show his face in one of the world powers territory, the world powers would pretend like they would send forces to capture him. 

This way, the world powers could avoid blame from their people and still look like they are doing something. 

Loki must have known this. 

He has been very cooperative in the past six months. 

Even though Loki joins the Crime Alliance, he did not really show himself in any of the world powers territory and so this farce could still be going on. 

No higher ups in the world powers is really intending to bring Loki to justice. This is world politics and sacrifices are bound to be made

So, Loki clearly knows who he is and still he captures him and brought him here, wherever this is. 

Paul has never been good in talking in circles so he simply said

ʼJust tell me why you are capturing me and what do you want me to do? I donʼt think you want to be breaking the peace between you and the world powers unless you are ready to return to Pandemoniumʼ

He paused for a second and then he said 

ʼAnd if what I know about you is true, I know you would not be going back to Pandemonium. So, what the hell are you doing Trickster?ʼ Loki hearing this could not help but laugh

He admires the honesty. 

Loki always likes to keep anyone he is talking about to keep guessing. It is his way of making them feel uncomfortable. 

Sometimes, they even said more than necessary. Silence sometimes are very powerful tool to use

Even though he rarely be the one doing the interrogation since the creation of this prison, he is quite the adept interrogator. 

And he knows he is going to win this because he knows everything about this man. 

the reason he is the one interrogating Paul is because Paul is not a criminal. At least not yet.

ʼPeople of the Order of Thinkers have always been straightforward. I like that about them. of course your obsession with your studies however, sometimes irked meʼ he smirks and then he said

  ʼYou have done nothing wrong to me. And like you said you are not involved with Crime Alliance. And as for my understanding with the world powers...ʼ he paused for a second and then he said

ʼIt is not something someone like you should think about. Like you said, you donʼt know enough people in high placesʼ Paul juts nods.

He didnʼt think it was an insult. Paul was never interested in titles or power. He was always dedicated to his own studies. 

But Loki still did not tell him why he is here. There was another silence in the room. Loki leans back on his seat once again and he ask

ʼIf Iʼm not mistaken you met someone a few months agoʼ

ʼI met a lot of people in the course of a monthʼ

Smiling, Loki leans closer, his eyes glint dangerously and he said

ʼOh, I think youʼre hoping to remember this person. How about a Magician…. from Aleppo? With funny hats, and a robe in lined with star shape sewing patternsʼ Hearing this words from Loki Paul face turns pale.

ʼAh, now that is the expression Iʼve been wanting to seeʼ Loki said as he sat back down on his seat, smiling